The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-19
SEARCHING THE BUsTLEs.
A woman's Description of the Work of
the Inspectresses on the Wharves.
IA.o,, the Prot,fdence Journal


n rim against, and usually people give her
81 wide berth; but wait on the docks of New
York for European steamer and you find
her. not in the singular, but in the plural
number. In former years it was an easy
matter to rush through few q presents,
Atty or so. Now, with the advent of
women on the docks as inspectresses, a sad
change has come DER the spirit of the fair
travellers dream. These inspectreSses are
twenty-three in number, under the charge
of Mrs. Mary E. Williams, chief of the
bureau, They range in age from 16 years
to that point where women stop having
birthdays. Their hours at the Barge Office
on the Battery are from 8 and Z a. m. on
alternate weeks, to 6p. m. At this season
thev are rushed, Sunday being the busiest
dov A competitive civil service eXamina-
ton, such as any pupil in the upper gram
mar grades could pass, secures a position
and a salary of 1913 month. When a
vessel is sighted off Fire Island its arrival is
wired to the Barge office. AT the Narrows
the custom house officials board the great
steamer, and others, with inspectresses, pre-
mare to meet her when safely tied to her
landing. At one end of the gorgeously
fitted up saloon the men in brass buttons
and white caps with gilt insignia, seat them
selves, and in Indian file the passengers
come up to the impromptu desks.
81. Helene JONES' So much is honest.
"Alone or with an escorts"
Here comes the rub II unattended, her
Iadyship must submit to the hundred eyes
of the female Argus detailed to inspect the
luggage of ladies travelling alone. If with
a gentleman this is avoided, and although
She has tramped all over the Continent, and
brought from every shop in London and
Paris without any aid, the result, Just being
pulled up from the hold of the ship, at tho
present moment she finds male protection a
most desirable thing Her answer, truth
fully or no. goes down, and the next inter-
rogation is regarding the number of trunks,
boxes, parcels, and packages. They must
all be enumerated ''big box, little box, band
box, and bundle"
equitable or non-dutiable?n she is asked
Nine cases out of ten she smilingly says she
has nothing at all upon which duty can be
charged-in her judgment Subsequent
events prove that differences of opinion still
exist in this cold, cruel world, where an
unfeeing Government persists in levying a
tax on female .frtperie. Madamoiselle is
then passed to the man opposite and signs
her name to this paper She has thus sworn
to possessing no dutiable articles. If squeam-
ish she may reply that she has a few
trifes and is asked to name them and place
upon these valuation. Seldom is the true
cost given, and often sales bills are produced
Kindly arranged by parties across, sub
stantiating her statements The questioning
closes with number handed her on check,
corresponding to that on her sworn deposi-
ton With it goes a printed circular in
forming one bribery is punishable. The
steamer reaches her pier.
Mile. Jones, in a new seal jacket and
Partisan bonnet, brings down numberless
small parcels, her steward, gracious under a
final tip, in the rear with portmanteau,
rugs, and umbrellas. She embraces wait
ing admirers, announces she chad per-
fectly lovely time; actually gained sixteen
poundsl" this last fact corroOorated by an
apparent increase in volume and weight
Somehow her dress-improver has swelled,
but she accounts for this as the very latest
from Regent street fashion models. But
keys are called for. She is most voluble,
too much so for the cool miss in ulster now
controlling ell belongings To the hand
bag first dives the woman official. Nothing
there Her steamer trunk. Also empty,
void of anything suspicious, although a
nightdress case is polSed into, toilet bag and
boxes ditto. Still nihiI. Rugs, fur, cloak,
and umbrellas are opened. Miss Jones
started with none, she now carries four of a
recent make. They pass A second key
opens huge Saratoga and each tray comes
under inspection. There is much head gear,
suspiciously new, but it goes as personal
ton, but also passes. Dresses of late make
are tossed aside and into each corner go the
Quick hands All! Something hard is
struck A box Out it comes in a jiffy
Cover torn off and through the packing
comes pair of Lovely vases. These are
quietly laid aside. During this the owner
is all the time giving information, histori-
cal, of the origin and cause of each article
But Miss Inspectress is cooler than the
traditional cucumber.
Another trunk is unstrapped and unlocked.
Dresses, dresses everywhere, some but
quarter made and one of dimension twice
Mile. j. Helene's size. The keen eye of the
examiner observes this and the garment
goes on top of the box, followed by gentle
mans macintosh and later a lamp in royal
Worcester, the vase of the lamp stuffed with
lace. Gloves are plenty, but give way to
silk skirt. On the principle of set a thief to
catch thief, put woman to fathom
womanS ways, and you need not be sur
prised to see the inspectress hold up the
skirt to the light, rip open one of the cores,
and show round after round of heavy jet
stitched inside. The pile is now of goodly
size, its owner tearfully exclaiming: Its
shame; they're only presents from friends
in England!" But the inspectress heeds her
not but goes for the appraisement with the
deposition, which she has all the time held
in her hand. Mile Jones begins to breathe
easy Politely she is asked to place value
upon the goods and she does SO. Just as. she
is shaking hands with herself and wondering
if she will have enough left in her portemon-
naie to put up at the Brunswick or the Fifth
Avenue, she is invited into a room on the
dock. Farewell to sweet delusive hope,
Pandora never left it in the box to be so
cruelty crushed
A personal examination shows silk petit
coats with braid and bullion, and lace orna-
mentation. Her pockets, jewelry by the
yard, and in her back hair, when unbound,
are found two shining diamonds. The
anatomy of the hustle should be reeds or
springs with tiny cushion of hair. But here
is piece of velvet which she could not
duplicate in the States. and a scissors thrust
In the cushion stabs three meerschaum
pipes! Behold her shorn and in floods Of
tears She calls cab, or some one does for
her, pays the duty on her little pile, amount
ing to about three fourths of their real
worth, and loses what has been taken from
her person. The next day she writes to
some New York paper anathematizing the
Government, protective tariff, and thinks
She has done nothing at all illegal
The goods taken Sunday last from Bos-
ton dresSmaker on the La Gascogne from
farls, when spread out at the Laight street
public stores, made a display dazzling to the
eyes. They were paced most adroitly, and
tne whole evidently previously arranged
plan with the gentleman acting as temper
dfV friend in TINA of need The Vnlua